Moneywise Matt Paulson has $25m a year in personal income - nice.
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Mar 24, 2026 Matt Paulsen, founder and CEO of MarketBeat and serial investor, built a high-margin financial media business and owns real estate and multiple firms. He discusses bootstrapping from small-town roots, huge company financials and personal take-home, why he doubled down on real estate, buying a private jet, philanthropic priorities, family-first choices, and simplifying his investment portfolio.
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Pay Yourself, Live Modestly Relative To Income
- Live deliberately: Matt pays himself ~$5M, spends ~$1–1.5M annually, and doesn't micro-track categories because lifestyle is small relative to income.
- He keeps some cash, real estate, stocks, and uses owner payroll for tax optimization.
Why He Bought A Private Jet In A Small Market
- Matt bought a private jet in 2022 for about $3.5–4M, financed over long amortization and benefited from 100% bonus depreciation that year.
- He charters it out to defray costs and values the accessibility and branding of a logoed plane.
Real Estate Play Was Opportunistic Not Theoretical
- Real estate allocation (~$40M) came from opportunistic buying during COVID when rates were low, growing to ~2,000 apartment units.
- The allocation reflects opportunity-driven buying more than a preplanned asset strategy.